Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound Guided Fine Needle Aspirate for Evaluating Lesions in or Adjacent to Gastrointestinal Tract: A Single Tertiary Care Center Experience

Abstract

Background: Endoscopic ultrasonography guided-fine needle aspiration offers through linear endoscopy
an opportunity for sampling mediastinal, intra-abdominal, pancreatic and pelvic lesions under direct
visualization.
Aim of Study: To assess the validity of endoscopic ultrasonography guided-fine needle aspiration from
patients with gastrointestinal tract disorder discovered by endoscopy or other imaging modalities in
comparison to histopathology.
Patients and Method: A retrospective data review study conducted in Kurdistan Center for Gastroenterology
& Hepatology in Sulaimani through the period from 1st of January 2016 to 31st of December 2016 onsample
of 102 suspected gastrointestinal tumors patients. Endoscopic ultrasonography data base at Kurdistan Center
during 4 years period (January 2013- December 2016) is searched for all patients referred for Endoscopic
ultrasonography-fine needle aspiration.
Results: Endoscopic ultrasonography showed that 51% of suspected gastrointestinal tumor patients had
malignancy while histopathology showed that 45.1% of suspected patients had malignancy. The validity
results of endoscopic ultrasonography-fine needle aspiration in comparison to histopathology findings
were sensitivity (87%), specificity (78.6%), +ve predictive value (76.9%), -ve predictive value (88%) and
accuracy (82.3%).
Conclusions: Endoscopic Ultrasonography-Fine Needle Aspiration is an appropriate diagnostic choice for
suspected gastrointestinal tumors.